We’ve heard of The Grateful Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends. But what about the underrated spinoff projects that only diehard Deadheads remember? Let’s take a look at just a few of The Grateful Dead members’ side projects that really are underrated and deserve more love.
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Reconstruction
Remember Reconstruction? This outfit was very similar to Grateful Dead, but with much more of a dance-focused sound. Reconstruction was formed back in 1978 and was only around for about a year. That was because it existed mainly for bassist John Kahn to stay busy while his frequent collaborator, Jerry Garcia, was busy with Grateful Dead. The band included the likes of Moby Grape’s Jerry Miller. Garcia would later join the band as their guitarist, and would perform briefly during The Grateful Dead’s hiatus. Reconstruction was only “constructed” for about eight months, during which they performed 57 live shows yet never released an album.
Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia’s legacy will always be tied directly to The Grateful Dead. However, the guitar legend released some excellent works as a solo artist. And I think his solo career has been sorely underrated.
It’s worth noting that I’m talking about Jerry Garcia’s solo career from 1972 through 1982, which yielded four records. We’re not talking about The Jerry Garcia Band (which is not underrated at all) or his many collaborations with the likes of David Grisman or Merl Saunders, among others. Specifically, I think his solo record Garcia from 1972 is quite underrated, complete with psychedelic folk rock jams like “The Wheel” and “Sugaree”.
7 Walkers
I’m not the biggest Deadhead, admittedly. I had never heard of 7 Walkers until the time came to find entries for this list of underrated projects by Grateful Dead members. And, after listening to tunes like “Evangeline”, I’m really surprised this outfit isn’t more well-known. 7 Walkers was formed by Grateful Dead members Bill Kreutzmann, Papa Mali, Hatt Hubbard, and George Porter Jr.
An excellent little rock band formed out of jam sessions between the members, 7 Walkers only lasted a few years before calling it quits in 2012. At least we got one exceptional album from them, a self-titled effort from 2010 that is worth a thorough listen from start to finish.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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